Hawaiian Electric has established a permanent program that offers a discounted rate to a number of residential customers with special medical needs, including those dependent on at home life-support equipment.

After recognizing  that some customers were dependent on special equipment or have increased cooling or heating needs due to medical conditions which increase their electricity bills, Hawaiian Electric established the pilot Special Medical Needs Rate Program in 2017.  Regulators approved a permanent program effective April 1. Participants in the pilot program have been automatically enrolled in the Special Medical Needs Rate Program, which offers a discount of four cents per kilowatt-hour up to the first 500 kWh each month – or up to $20.

To apply for the Special Medical Needs Rate Program, customers can access an enrollment form at hawaiianelectric.com/specialmedicalneeds. A Hawaiʻi-licensed physician must certify that a resident at the service address listed on the form has a qualifying medical condition. The webpage offers a complete list of the medical issues that qualify.

Applicants must:

• Print and fill out an enrollment form

• Obtain a signature from a Hawaiʻi-licensed physician

Completed forms can be submitted by mail to the following address:

Hawaiian Electric; Attn: Credit Department; P.O. Box 2750; Honolulu, HI 96840.

Forms can not be submitted electronically. Upon acceptance, applicants will receive a letter and the reduced rate will go into effect within one to two billing cycles. A new benefit of the program is that participants will be referred to Hawaiʻi Energy, which can provide resources to help customers reduce energy use and lower electricity bills.